When you think of soup and broccoli, your mind probably goes straight to Broccoli Cheddar, but that’s definitely NOT where the world of broccoli soup begins and ends. This Italian Broccoli Soup is a great way to broaden your soup horizons. Much more broccoli forward than some of its cousins, it’s a simple, rustic, and satisfying soup that’s easy to make and even easier to enjoy. (Particularly if you’re a brassica lover!)

Believe it or not, you only need a handful of ingredients for this. The main ones are broccoli and orzo, which — if you’re not familiar — is a small almost rice-shaped pasta. You’ll need two broccoli heads for this, which you simply chop up and then boil in chicken broth with some garlic. I love that it’s significantly easier than other soups in that there’s no sautéing step. (No onions to chop, sauté, etc.)

You’ll simmer that broccoli for a good long while, until it’s very tender, and then you’ll smash it into small pieces with a wooden spoon or maybe a potato masher. You could even use an immersion blender, but I like the soup to have some texture, so I wouldn’t recommend blending it until it’s completely pureed.

The orzo goes in next, along with a little red pepper flake for the tiniest bit of a kick, and it has to simmer just until the orzo is tender. Parsley and parm are the final flourishes to this simple soup, but really it’s all about letting that broccoli shine along with the carby comfort of orzo.